# When was Ginger Ale invented? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009 "2012-03-28T02:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SticksAndString](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@SticksAndString](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SticksAndString)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/1 "2012-03-28T02:05:11Z")
When was ginger ale invented and was there any “curative” powers associated with it at first, the way there was with Coca-Cola? SaS ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/2 "2012-03-28T02:47:24Z")
In the U.S. in 1860, an apothecary and surgeon named Thomas Cantrell claimed to have invented ginger ale. Ginger originated in Southeast Asia, and has a long history of being considered a medicinal root spice. I know from my own experience that it is good for sea sickness and motion sickness, prevents nausea and warms the body. Claims are also made that ginger stimulates digestion and circulation, helps to reduce inflammation, and promotes gastrointestinal comfort. It is related to turmeric which is another medicinal herb, and also to cardamom. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/3 "2012-03-28T03:49:07Z")
Virtually any “drink” that was promoted in the 19th century was touted to have magical powers. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/4 "2012-03-28T04:40:23Z")
Ever consider Wikipedia? [Ginger ale - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ginger_ale&useformat=desktop) Joe ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/5 "2012-03-28T12:17:44Z")
It’s hard to believe that Ginger Ale wasn’t a derivative of Ginger Beer, which has no acknowledged inventor, and dates back a century or so earlier: > **[Ginger beer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beer)** > > Traditional ginger beer is a sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Historically it was produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast and sugar. > Current ginger beers are often manufactured rather than brewed, frequently with flavour and colour additives, with artificial carbonation. Ginger ales are not brewed. > Ginger beer's origins date from the colonial spice trade with the Orient and the sugar-producing islands of the Caribbean. It was popular in Br... ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/6 "2012-03-28T12:58:07Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Ever consider Wikipedia? > > [Ginger ale - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ginger_ale&useformat=desktop) > > Joe What fun would it be getting the answer from Wikipedia? Most questions on SD could be answered with a quick Google search. It is the discussions and the diverse opinions that make getting the answer here superior than a cold fact sheet.😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/7 "2012-03-28T13:10:37Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It’s hard to believe that Ginger Ale wasn’t a derivative of Ginger Beer, which has no acknowledged inventor, and dates back a century or so earlier: > > [Ginger beer - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beer) Ginger beer was fermented, and had alcohol. Mind you there might well have been some connections, like Doc Cantrell going “Hmm, I wonder if I could make a non-alcoholic version”. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/8 "2012-03-28T13:15:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ginger beer was fermented, and had alcohol. Mind you there might well have been some connections, like Doc Cantrell going “Hmm, I wonder if I could make a non-alcoholic version”. Observe that I did not say they were “identical.” Both the ginger ale and the ginger beer articles on Wikipedia point out the close similarities between the beverages. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/9 "2012-03-28T13:33:40Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It’s hard to believe that Ginger Ale wasn’t a derivative of Ginger Beer, which has no acknowledged inventor, and dates back a century or so earlier: > > [Ginger beer - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beer) This is what I was going to say. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-ginger-ale-invented/617009/10 "2012-03-28T15:40:35Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Observe that I did not say they were “identical.” Both the ginger ale and the ginger beer articles on Wikipedia point out the close similarities between the beverages. Oh, I know that Cal. But you see here in America, most dudes think Ginger Beer is a just a rather strong ginger ale, so they’d think “Sure, right like that dude “invented” Ginger ale, bullshit- all he did was change the name”. But originally it was a alcoholic beverage, and a pretty strong one too. Nowadays, more or less Ginger beer contains little alcohol.